I have not had a chance to listen to the shows yet, please forgive me if I am off topic.

I have an old EEE pc that I have debian running on.
I have an asus chromebook, that I bought to install libreboot and debian, but does that really matter with a trusted program module?

I like the EEE pc because I can take it apart. Not that I really know what I am doing, but that is what the internet is for, right? haha

I keep thinking that I don't know a lot about computers, then I watch people pull out the tab in the point of sale machine that clearly states, Don't put card here, and put their card in and stare at it when it doesn't work. Then they take it out and try the same thing again.

I know enough to get by and I know how to follow instructions.

I don't want, Grandma Just Buttons.

I want to know what I am doing.

Privacy seems like a silly notion, when it comes to technology.
I can always pull my friend off to the side and whisper in their ear, but then I have to hope that information stays with them. Damn, even in real life, private communication is hard.

I am not afraid of learning.
I am just trying to look in the right direction.

I have a Galaxy S3 (i9300) that I put Replicant on, but what good is that if I still have to use a cell service?
I don't have a lot of technical knowledge, but if there is an installation guide, I can do it.
The internet has helped me rip apart many of my electronics and play around, plus I have learned a few things along the way.

I am hung up on the idea that, private communication, is impossible. I mean, it is really really hard to do in real life!! Once you say it....it's out there. We don't even have to say anything and we are broadcasting information.

#I have not had a chance to listen to the shows yet, please forgive me if I am off topic.

The shows have a lot of information and none at all, it depends on who hears it and their Tech level.

#I have an old EEE pc that I have debian running on.
#I have an asus chromebook, that I bought to install libreboot and debian, but does that really matter #with a trusted program module?

Chrome Books are a product of google to get in to the PC marketplace, it was their second commercial Operating system, their first being Android witch is hailed as the most closed open source operating system ever. They are the kings of you cant see that and how it works.

The important part of this is that you were able to get debian installed and see what it is like. I do not have much trust in any hardware and less in anything called "Trusted Program Module". Debian is religious about opened software, software you can see and inspect, modify and reuse. The software code in debian has changed the world and will continue in the coming years.

#I like the EEE pc because I can take it apart. Not that I really know what I am doing, but that is #what the internet is for, right? haha
Yep, thats what it is for to learn and experiment.

#I keep thinking that I don't know a lot about computers,
You know more than most, but you knew that.

#Privacy seems like a silly notion, when it comes to technology.
Yes it is a silly notion, but it can be possible in theory.

#I can always pull my friend off to the side and whisper in their ear, but then I have to hope that #information stays with them.
I see two things here.

1 Trust in relationships, yep thats hard. Who can you trust and who you cant. How do you decide is a deep subject.

2 When you pull your friend off to the side and whisper in their ear, you could be observed transferring information. That would raise a flag if someone wanted to know what was said in a whisper.

#Damn, even in real life, private communication is hard.

Yup, for sure.

#I have a Galaxy S3 (i9300) that I put Replicant on, but what good is that if I still have to use a #cell service?

It was only good for the experience and your learning. You could use the "Replicant" operating system on your phone to connect to wifi and use it as a computer but the hardware you have no knowledge of might use the wifi to communicate what you are doing to a party that wants to know.

This is why the push to opened hardware is out there. Hardware that is committed to you and software that is too.

#I don't have a lot of technical knowledge, but if there is an installation guide, I can do it.
#The internet has helped me rip apart many of my electronics and play around, plus I have learned a few #things along the way.

You are on a great path as far as I am concerned. I learned everything I know by building on what is out there, after a while you get the just. Teachers are great, the right ones that is but hands on doing is the best.

Big question in one sentence. Facebook is the communications system of this planet in 2018, it can do everything you want at a cost. All the other players want a piece of their actions and make it hard to get truly UN-conditionaly free communications. I could type for days on this subject, but I hate typing, sorry.

#I am hung up on the idea that, private communication, is impossible. I mean, it is really really hard
#to do in real life!! Once you say it....it's out there. We don't even have to say anything and we are #broadcasting information.

Well, we are not in control. Its happening all around us, freedom finds a way.

I started listening to your podcast, the episode you recommended to me.
Before Eric came on and you guys were talking about how all the computers are screwed, it got me thinking.
If everything is fucked, why run?
If the Free State Project, can get a bunch of people to move to the cold, why can't we pick one thing and work on it, when it comes to technology?
This is where, centralization, isn't the devil, if we all worked on one thing, we could get done a lot faster. Seems kinda dumb, I know.

If 1G cell network is a ghost town, why don't we build our own mini towers and start from there?
We can't do this, it's not private enough.
we can't do that, it's not blah blah blah...

Are we really shooting for perfect?

I will take the beat up piece of shit car. I am working for freedom, not a sports car. haha